Diverse Voices in Docs

Diverse Voices in Docs (DVID) is a nine-month professional mentorship and development program for documentary filmmakers of color, organized by Kartemquin Films and the Community Film Workshop of Chicago.

Founded in 2013, DVID aims to inspire collaboration and skill-sharing among its fellows, and among the larger Midwestern independent documentary filmmaking community. At the core of the fellowship is a series of dynamic workshops led by Kartemquin staff, associates, and invited experts, ranging in focus from storytelling ethics, to fundraising, to distribution, and a pitch session attended by leading funders and distributors. The program culminates with a graduation showcasing fellows work and featuring a keynote speaker.

Applications for 2019 have closed.
Applications for 2020 will open in the fall of 2019.

DVID Workshops
1. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. Led by a variety of filmmaking professionals from Kartemquin.
2. STORYTELLING & ETHICS. Led by Artistic Director and Co-Founder Gordon Quinn.
3. FUNDRAISING & FINANCE. Research, prospecting, grantwriting, editing a demo, event planning and crowdfunding.
4. DISTRIBUTION & OUTREACH. Led by Director of Distribution + Communications Tim Horsburgh and Marketing + Distribution Associate Julia Martin.
5. KTQ LABS CRITIQUE & SKILL WORKSHOPS. Hosted at Kartemquin, with the Kartemquin community of filmmakers and special guests invited to critique works-in-progress.
6. FUNDER ROUNDTABLE. A panel discussion with a select group of Chicago funders in media arts and documentary distributors about the current industry landscape, documentary support and upcoming deadlines.

Location: All sessions except for the KTQ LABS critique will be hosted at Community Film Workshop, In Residence at the Harris Park, 6200 S. Drexel, Rm 201, Chicago, IL 60637: Phone: (773) 752-9335. The building is fully ADA compliant and accessible. For questions, please contact dvid@kartemquin.com

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants should have played a principal role in a completed production (producer, writer, director, editor, etc) and have experience or work history that demonstrated their commitment to social issue documentary.
Applicants must be a legal US resident.
Applicants must NOT be a full-time student.
Applicants commit to participating in all aspects of the program and attending all 6 classes.
There is no application fee. An enrollment fee of $100 is due upon acceptance to the program.
Decisions will be based on finalist interviews and work samples.

The Diverse Voices in Docs program will not provide: travel expenses, project funding, legal advice, equipment or post-production access.
For more information on the program please email dvid@kartemquin.com

You can help.

You will be making films, making filmmakers, and making a difference.

When you make a contribution to Kartemquin, you enable us to continue telling the stories of the people whose lives are most directly affected by social and political change and who are often overlooked or misrepresented by the media. Thanks to your crucial support, for over 50 years our films have helped to provoke essential dialogue, both in communities and between the general public and policymakers.